34: Jinling Orchard

After Zhou Mingrui finished his call, Shen Xiaochuan turned and walked toward the Main Hall. As he walked, he opened the Faith Mall to check. faith points were still growing steadily, increasing by 1 point per second, and he was only one point away from leveling up.

He was not in a hurry now.

The Blacksmith Shop had been upgraded to level three, and Lolia could now forge the "sky-rending blade." The first batch of fifty was currently being rushed into production.

He had already ordered Chen Yan to mobilize five thousand Believers to stand by, all equipped with thunder blades, prioritizing the three front-line centurion squads.

At the entrance of the Main Hall, Tang Keke was waiting for him, clutching a piece of parchment.

"I have brought the people you requested."

She said, "The weather incantation is also ready and can be used at any time."

"Didn't you say it would rain heavily?"

"Stronger than a heavy rain. I can draw in cumulonimbus clouds to completely cover the orchard, leaving zero visibility. And..."

She paused for a moment, "Water vapor conducts electricity, so the power of the thunder blades can be doubled."

Shen Xiaochuan was taken aback and looked at her, "When did you figure this out?"

Tang Keke smiled, her eyes shining, "Last night. When you had Lolia engrave the lightning-conducting patterns on the blades, I was thinking about how to coordinate them to achieve the maximum effect."

He nodded, "Very good. When we set out, follow three hundred paces to my right and find a high vantage point to cast the spell."

"Understood."

He strode forward. The troops in the north of the city had already assembled. Flags were fluttering, weapons were orderly, and the Aura was imposing.

Chen Yan ran over, holding the intelligence that had just arrived, and said breathlessly, "Five kilometers to the north, the golden spirit fruit orchard has indeed been occupied. It's not the Japanese Gods, but Goblins, over two thousand of them. Among them are three powerful enemies: an Elder, a Cyclops, and a Priest."

"Is there a Formation?"

"Yes. It's surrounded by a three-meter-high thorn wall, covered in dark green vines, looking like some kind of Formation structure."

"Can lightning strikes break it?"

"Not sure. But your 'sky-rending blade' has an armor-piercing effect, so it should be able to tear open a gap."

Shen Xiaochuan reached out and drew a "sky-rending blade" from the chariot. The blade instantly glowed with a deep blue light, and electric sparks crackled and jumped.

"Then it's not a hard wall."

He said, "It's soft. When striking a snake, hit it in the seven inches; we'll strike the head first."

"How do we attack?"

"You take three hundred men and break in from the east, attacking head-on with the thunder blades. Don't get bogged down in the fight; strike a few times and retreat. The goal is to anger them and draw out their main force."

"And then?"

"I have archers ambushed on the west side. Once the enemy chases out, we will fire from the flanks. Tang Keke will cast spells from the high slope, using the rain to obscure their vision and disrupt their Formation."

Chen Yan smiled, "That's a good strategy."

"This isn't ruthless, it's precise."

Shen Xiaochuan sheathed the blade, his eyes cold, "Our goal is to reclaim that land, not to waste time here. The operation must be fast and accurate."

Chen Yan patted his chest, "Then I'm off!"

Shen Xiaochuan frowned and called him back, "Wait. Remember, you are only responsible for drawing out the monsters. As soon as the enemy's main force appears, retreat immediately; don't fight to the death. I won't let you throw your life away."

Chen Yan nodded and turned to leave.

Shen Xiaochuan boarded the chariot and ordered the messenger, "Notify the archer squad on the west side to enter their ambush positions and stay quiet. No shooting until ordered."

"Yes!"

The convoy moved slowly.

The five thousand people were divided into three groups. The central army remained in the rear, Chen Yan led his team to flank from the east, and Shen Xiaochuan led the command group and Tang Keke to the northwest hillside.

No one spoke along the way.

There was only the sound of footsteps and the wheels crushing gravel.

Two hours later, the vanguard arrived at the designated location.

Shen Xiaochuan stood on the hillside, looking out at the golden spirit fruit orchard.

The orchard was vast, the fruit trees were neatly arranged, and the fruits glowed with golden light, clearly an important resource site.

The perimeter was a three-meter-high thorn wall, with vines intertwined and runes faintly flickering. The gate was tightly shut, and two Goblin sentries stood in front of it, patrolling back and forth with bone spears.

Inside the orchard was a stone platform, on which stood a black-robed Goblin holding a snake-headed staff—this must be the Priest.

On the open ground to the left, a Cyclops was swinging a giant wooden hammer, striking the ground with dull thuds. Several injured Goblins lay on the ground, ignored by everyone.

"They are training."

Tang Keke said in a low voice, "This isn't a temporary occupation; they intend to stay here long-term."

"Then we cannot delay."

Shen Xiaochuan said firmly, "We must take it down tonight."

"Chen Yan is in position." The messenger reported.

"Tell him to proceed."

Less than five minutes after the order was issued, a sudden explosion sounded from the east.

A flash of fire appeared, followed immediately by the sounds of battle cries.

The first wave of attacks had begun.

Chen Yan led three hundred men out, charging straight at the east gate of the thorn wall with thunder blades in hand.

"Kill!"

Lightning flashed, the two sentries fell on the spot, their corpses charred black. Chen Yan kicked the gate open, led his team inside, and went straight for the Elder.

The Elder reacted extremely quickly, raising its bone staff to chant, and sharp bone spikes instantly erupted from the ground.

Chen Yan dodged, swept his blade horizontally, and lightning exploded. The Elder's arm was severed, and the bone staff fell to the ground.

"Retreat!" He roared and turned to retreat.

The Goblins behind him fell into chaos.

The sentries blew their horns, the Cyclops roared as it chased after them, and the Priest began chanting a long spell, causing vines to emerge from within the walls, attempting to entangle the pursuers.

"Now."

Shen Xiaochuan raised his hand, "Tang Keke, do it!"

Tang Keke's expression was focused as she slowly raised her hands. The parchment unfolded by itself and floated in the air. She began to chant, her speed increasing.

Dark clouds gathered rapidly in the sky, and the sky suddenly darkened.

The wind rose.

Leaves flew about.

As the first drop of rain fell, Shen Xiaochuan had already drawn his "sky-rending blade."

"Archer squad—listen up!"

Everyone raised their bows, ready to fire.

The rain grew heavier, and visibility became increasingly blurred.

Only the lightning light on the blades traced bright trajectories through the curtain of rain.

"Target the west exit! Wait until the enemy pursues thirty meters past the wall—fire!"

The messenger repeated the order.

The archers held their breath and focused.

Chen Yan's squad had rushed out of the orchard, pursued by over five hundred Goblins, including the Cyclops and two injured Elders.

They ran wildly, looking like they were about to escape the ambush zone.

"Closer... closer..." Shen Xiaochuan stared intensely at the battlefield.

Finally, the pursuers crossed the red line.

"Fire!"

A rain of arrows soared into the air.

Five hundred lightning arrows pierced through the rain, landing precisely among the enemy ranks.

Boom!

Lightning exploded, and over a dozen Goblins fell to the ground, convulsing. The Cyclops was hit by three arrows in a row, its knees buckled, and it knelt to the ground.

The Goblins' Formation was thrown into chaos.

"Second volley!" Shen Xiaochuan ordered.

Another wave of arrows poured down.

This time, they aimed at the roots of the vines.

The lightning strikes hit their mark, the thorn wall shook violently, and large areas of runes extinguished.

"It's effective!"

Tang Keke shouted, "Conductivity successful! The wall's defense has dropped by forty percent!"

"Notify Chen Yan, prepare for a counterattack."

Shen Xiaochuan said, "Lead the men to charge back through the gap; the target is the Priest."

The messenger immediately signaled.

At this moment, the rain was pouring, and the ground was muddy, but morale was high.

Chen Yan received the signal, immediately turned around, and led the two hundred or so men who could still fight, raising their blades and charging toward the gap in the orchard.

The Goblins had not yet stabilized their footing and were caught off guard.

An Elder attempted to organize a counterattack but was struck in the chest by Chen Yan's blade; the lightning pierced its entire body, and it exploded on the spot.

"Where is the Priest?" Chen Yan shouted.

"On the stone platform!" Someone pointed to the high ground.

The Priest was holding the snake-headed staff high, chanting the final defensive spell.

Chen Yan looked up and suddenly hurled the thunder blade in his hand.

The blade spun in the rain, wreathed in electric arcs, flying straight toward the stone platform.

With a "clang," it struck the snake-headed staff directly.

The staff snapped.

The spell was broken.

The Priest fell backward.

Shen Xiaochuan stood on the hillside, his gaze locked on the battlefield. The moment he saw Chen Yan sever the snake-headed staff, a flash of light passed through his eyes, and he subconsciously gripped his hilt tighter.

"Pass the order, the whole army is to attack. Archer squad provides cover, main force advances from the west and east gates simultaneously. The goal is to control the center of the orchard and block all exits."

The order was given.

Five thousand Believers began a full-scale advance.

Tang Keke was still casting the spell, and the rain had not stopped. Sweat beaded on her forehead, but her hands were as steady as a rock.

"How much longer can you hold out?" Shen Xiaochuan asked.

"Half an hour. Any longer and I won't be able to hold up."

"That's enough."

He said, "It will be over in twenty minutes."

At this moment, a messenger came running over.

"Report! Chen Yan's squad has taken control of the stone platform. But... the Cyclops rushed into the depths of the orchard and smashed open the door to a basement!"

"What?" Shen Xiaochuan frowned.

"It refuses to come out and keeps smashing the door inside."

"Underground?"

He suddenly remembered the phrase Zhou Mingrui had mentioned—"there are traces of an ancient Formation."

Could it be...

"Tang Keke, stop the rain."

"What?"

"Stop the rain and disperse the clouds."

"But... the enemy will be able to see us clearly."

"I know."

He stared into the depths of the orchard, "But they will also be able to see that basement clearly. I want to see what exactly is worth a Cyclops trying so desperately to smash through."